I Didn't Know That: Riding on Air

Have you always wanted to own a hovercraft but can't afford one? Richard Ambrose and Jonny Phillips might have the answer. Learn how you can build your own using plywood and a leafblower—and ride on air in no time!

I Didn't Know That: Riding on Air

Have you always wanted to own a hovercraft but can't afford one? Richard Ambrose and Jonny Phillips might have the answer. Learn how you can build your own using plywood and a leafblower—and ride on air in no time!

JONNY PHILLIPS: Part of the success of the new generation of hovercraft is that the companies that make them know their limitations, so they produce practical, reliable machines to fill a very defined niche in the market. Long gone are the fanciful dreams of the 1960s, that one day we'd all be riding round on our personal hovercraft.

RICHARD AMBROSE: Hey Jonny! I think you might be wrong there! If you look close enough there's still a few dreamers out there. What do you reckon?

JONNY PHILLIPS: Yeah, it's really cool, but what is it?

RICHARD AMBROSE: It's an Australian air board.

JONNY PHILLIPS: Yeah? Can I have a go?

RICHARD AMBROSE: No.

NARRATOR: And it's no gimmick, it is a full-blown hovercraft, with a proper lift fan to get it airborne. The only difference from a conventional hovercraft is it's got a hidden wheel that touches down to drive it forward, which is a bit of a cheat, but it's still pretty cool!

JONNY PHILLIPS: Now if you're sitting at home thinking you'd really like to own a hovercraft but don't want to spend a fortune buying one, we might just have the answer.

RICHARD AMBROSE: We're going to show you how you can build your own hoverboard for around 150 pounds. All you need is a piece of plywood, some plastic sheeting, some drainpipe.

JONNY PHILLIPS: And a leaf blower.

RICHARD AMBROSE: Now this is what we've done. We've attached a petrol driven leaf blower to a piece of plywood. The air from the blower is gonna go down through this downpipe, through a hole in the board, to the underside.

JONNY PHILLIPS: This PVC sheeting is our improvised hovercraft skirt, or air chamber, and the air escaping through these holes that we've made will hopefully provide the lift to get us off the ground.

RICHARD AMBROSE: Now let's put it down and I'm gonna fire it up mate, OK?

NARRATOR: The air cushion provided by the blower lifts the heavy plywood board and 100 kilograms of Jonny off the ground with ease.

I Didn't Know That: Riding on Air

Have you always wanted to own a hovercraft but can't afford one? Richard Ambrose and Jonny Phillips might have the answer. Learn how you can build your own using plywood and a leafblower—and ride on air in no time!